Been on the road a lot this past month so way behind in giving this programming heads up: check out Soundbreaking, the best documentary of the fall. Already half way through a run of eight amazing episodes on PBS, the ambitious series charts the history of recorded music. It was the last thing Sir George Martin worked on,
Hard to believe “Jackie Robinson” is Ken Burns’ 29th documentary for PBS. Far from mailing it in, the 62-year-old filmmaker seems to grow as a storyteller with each project. This one is a collaboration, with his daughter, Sarah Burns, and David McMaron also credited as executive producers. The four-hour film airs Monday and Tuesday night from
Usually, a gathering of professional skeptics is commonly referred to as “a newsroom.” In January, I met a skeptic who made even cranky reporters gathered at the winter TCA press tour look unsuspecting: James “The Amazing” Randi. The Toronto-born magician was at the TCA press tour in Pasadena, Calif., promoting the documentary about his life:
I Should Have Known Better: George Martin did that crazy-ambitious PBS history of recorded music project after all. In an earlier post, I dug back into a TCA press tour moment from eight years ago to mark the passing of Beatles’ legendary record producer. At the time, in 2008, Martin stood before reporters to answer
“God, can we get away from The Beatles for a moment?” Sir George Martin had had enough. The 82-year-old music icon had been fielding questions about John, Paul, George and Ringo for half an hour. This was in 2008, at a Television Critics Association PBS press conference. The public broadcaster had brought Martin before the press
PASADENA, Calif.–Michael Gambon is an acclaimed Irish actor who never seems to stop working. Recent hits include the Harry Potter films and “The King’s Speech.” His latest, for PBS’ Masterpiece, “is Churchill’s Secret,” which will premiere next fall. The TV-movie looks at WWII icon Winston Churchill’s second go-round as British prime minister, and how a
PASADENA, Calif.–“No matter how smart of well-educated you are, you can be deceived.” That’s the message delivered by James “The Amazing” Randi in The Independent Lens production “An Honest Liar.” The entertaining and surprising doc airs March 28 on PBS. At 87, Randi looks more like Jasper Beardly on The Simpsons than Harry Houdini. His
The sixth and final season of Downton Abbey began airing in North America Sunday night on PBS–which reminds me, I better get my screeners back from my neighbour Roberta. Have to admire the Brits for getting out before anybody could accuse anybody of overstaying their welcome. If this was a Fox or NBC series, as